Serving the Lord with gladness

I am a people watcher, if there was a degree for human observation I would be working on my doctorate. 

You don't have to be a prophet to be able to look at those who pass by and realize their lives, although filled with many things are empty and without divine purpose. Their hope past this life is built on maybes and hope so,  and earthly ideas and concepts.

Unfortunately this sad, unfulfilled way of life, tends to creep  into the church as well. The Psalmist wrote that we are to serve the Lord with gladness. Now gladness goes deeper than an emotional euphoria, but it does include an outward expressions of an inward feeling. I am a firm believer that if you are saved you need to notify your face. There should be a "look" that identifies you as overcoming child of God,

Scripture tells us that there is righteousness and joy and peace in the Holy Ghost. That means that regardless of what I face or go through, I can still have peace, joy and live righteously. Serving the Lord does not have to be a drudgery or a list of divine tasks that must be completed to make it to the golden streets. But rather there should be a feeling of accomplishment and satisfaction in doing the will of God.

As children of God, we must not become captivated by the spirit of this world that judges our success on an earthly on a prosperity scale. The value of your service to the kingdom may never be revealed until you stand before Him. We are to lay up our treasures above. 

Paul said there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness - he was saying I have put some things on layaway, my work down here did not bring me riches, but in heaven I am storing up treasures.

Find the blessing in service through the knowledge of obedience to His will. 

When you consider service from the perspective of how blessed I am to serve rather than I am serving to be blessed, it tends to change your outlook  on service.

Find the joy in service and you will find contentment and a sense of purpose. 

In His service,

Revmac

The Altar Of Brokness

The altar of brokenness beckons, it makes its demands, It looks through the crowd for those with certain qualifications. It seeks for the bowed head, the bended knee, the lowered eyes and the submitted heart.

The altar looks for the broken will, the heart that has been ripped apart exposing its internal workings to the staring world

When these characteristics are found, the person is then laid on an altar of sacrifice and the smell of burning flesh fills the room. The stench is repulsive and sickening, and for many it is more than they can handle. They talk, as they back out of the room, about how it costs too much to serve, how God has no right to ask them to give all.

But for those who remain on the altar, out of the ashes of sacrificed flesh rises a new spirit and a new creation. The old man must remain upon the altar but the new man walks away with purpose and power

The man born out of the ashes of sacrifice, fears nothing, he walks by trust rather than feelings, his eyes see beyond the temporal and carnal. He has no trouble being obedient to the will of God because he is propelled by divinity instead of humanity. No longer is his vision obstructed by carnality, he see into the vast possibilities in God.

Those who pass by him are not struck by his human significance or worldly attraction, what they notice first is the distinct odor of burning flesh. They notice secondly how transparent he has become, it is as if His only purpose to magnify the light that is shining from deep within him.

The altar beckons, those who desire it's power are many those who will pay it's price are few

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.
(Gal 5:24-26)

When God Turns Away

What do you do when God hides His face?

Jairus came to Jesus and asked Him to come to his house and heal his daughter. While on the road to Jairus' house, Jesus stopped, and turned away from Jairus, because a woman with an issue of blood had touched the hem of his garment.

Some interesting things to consider:

Jesus had STARTED to do something in Jairus' life, and then stopped.

Has God ever started a good work in you, and then suddenly, nothing is happening? You've announced the good news to all of your friends, "Jesus is on His way to my house, I'm going to get my miracle today, it's already started!"

Then, not only does Jesus stop, He turns his back on Jairus! He literally "hid his face".

The Bible says that Jesus "turned about in the press", and stopped a miracle for Jairus to give someone else a miracle instead. Have you ever been in a situation where God is not answering your prayer, and you have to come to church and listen to a sister or brother across the church give a praise report? And, somewhere deep inside, is there a little resentment? A little jealousy?
It's easy to weep with someone, but hard to rejoice with them.

While Jairus is waiting on Jesus, his daughter dies
Now, at this point, many of us would have completely given up, stomped off in a huff, angry, disillusioned. "How could God do this to me! I trusted Him, I believed Him, I left my daughter's side to come find him because I believed that He was her only hope." But Jairus did not speak a word, but he did show us the correct repsonse when God turns away.

* He waited.

That's it, no great revelation, he simply waited. I mean, what else could he do? He'd done all he could, and if Jesus wasn't coming to his house, there was no hurry to return home. All his hopes were wrapped up in the possibility of Jesus healing his daughter. How long has it been since we had no other options? How long since our future has been totally in the hands of the Master? It is time like this that test our faith and reveal the level of our trust in Him

David said, "I will rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him".

* Jairus stayed close to Jesus.

He was so close, that when the servant whispered the sad news in his ear, Jesus heard it.
We are so tempted to draw away from God when His back is turned to us. Everyone is close to God when He's speaking to them, and you can see his face. But when His back is turned, that's when the tempation is the strongest to walk away.

We all know what to do when God is moving, it's when He's standing still that we get thrown for a loop.
But, as Job said, in one translation, "I have matched Him step for step!"
If He zigs, I zig - if He zags, I zag! He may not be speaking to me, He may have his back to me, but I'm holding on to Him for dear life, and not letting go!

* Jairus didn't give up hope, even after his dream died.

That's when most people throw in the towel. As long as the dream is alive, even if it's struggling for breath, there's hope. But, when it dies, that's when most people give up.

But, the Bible says, "Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone.....but, IF IT DIE, it bringeth forth much fruit!"

If Jesus would have healed Jairus daughter, all the critics may have said, "Well, she was getting better anyway, it was nature." Jairus himself may have attributed her healing to the good care he was giving her.
But, when Jesus raised her from the dead, everyone had to admit that it was God, and God alone who did the miracle!

So, if God turns his back on you, just wait.......stay close........and don't give up hope, even when the dream dies! God has not forgotten you, if He sees every sparrow that falls to the ground, you can be sure that He sees you. Just stand still, keep your cool, maintain your faith and ...wait. Your answer may have been delayed but it has not been destroyed!

Is God Okay With My Plans?

Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. (Pro 3:5-6 AMP)

Our future well being depends largely on the decisions we make today. We are a world in transition; we change homes, cars, jobs, cities, and spouses as easily as changing clothes. Many of the problems in our lives are the direct result of decision that were not well thought out, not prayed over and are emotionally driven.
In many decisions the cost was not counted, the impact was not measured, and the long-term implications were not considered.

We feel right and justified about our decision, but only time can reveal the end results of our choices.

The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD. All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits. Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established. (Pro 16:1-3 KJV)

An important principle to remember is that, we will reap the results of our decisions, whether good or evil

Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. (Gal 6:7-8 KJV)

You do not reap always reap immediately, some seeds take years to produce, and when they begin to bring forth it is in a larger quantity than the seed sewn. No one plants an apple seed expecting only one apple to be produced as a result. The hope of the grower is that the single seed that has been planted will eventually produce thousands of apples.

There are some questions we need to ask ourselves about our plans for the future

• Have I consulted God about my plans – prayer is our way to communicate with Him. The wisdom to make a Godly decision is not found in our flesh.

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (Jas 1:5 KJV)

• Have I consulted Godly counsel – your choice of counsel may affect your decision

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish. (Psa 1:1-6 KJV)

• What is my motivation

1. Why am I making this decision?
2. Why now?

• What affect will my decision have on me, my family, my church and my relationship with God?

• Is God in the center of my plans or just an afterthought?

Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee. (Psa 143:8 KJV)

• What has God spoken to me in prayer (silence is not acceptance)
• What is my the Spirit of God in me telling me – ignore your flesh for a moment, and focus on what God is speaking to your spirit
• If God says no to my plans will I listen?

How to get God involved in your plans

1. Prayer
2. Applying Biblical principles to your choices
3. Seeking Godly counsel
4. Obedience to the voice of God and the voice of Godly men and women in your life

Allow the Spirit of God to direct you- be open to a change in plans if He so desires. The greatest place to be is in the center of God's will. To be able to know of a certainty that you are where God wants you to be, doing what He wants you to do.

Real peace comes through obedience, and there is assurance that if this is His plan then He is in control. I just have to walk in obedience and faith, trusting not in my own ability but in the perfect plan of an Almighty, Wise God!

If My People Pray

If My People Pray

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
(2Ch 7:14 KJV)

The means of spiritual change have remained constant throughout the centuries of time. It has always involved a humbling of man in the presence of a holy God. It has always involved a desperate cry from a sincere heart. Pride has become a barrier between God and man. We have become too proud to bow before Him, too high and mighty to humble ourselves in His presence and we have paid dearly for this attitude.

It has cost us a deeper relationship with Jesus; it has decreased our sensitivity to his voice. We have missed the protection of His arms and the confidence that comes through an intimate relationship with Him. Our families have suffered tremendously due to the fact that a prayerless home is a powerless home. The hedge that should have been created through consistent prayer has been broken through and torn down by the enemy of our soul. Worship becomes hollow, praise becomes just noise and preaching becomes powerless to deliver the captive without the depth of relationship that is born through prayer.

We have learned how to replace divine devotion with entertainment and being a living sacrifice with worldly pleasures. We have learned how to create an artificial atmosphere through music and motivational methods, but we stand naked and unarmed before the enemy of our soul. He is unaffected by the clamor and confusion we have created through prayerless church.

We have sought for earthly relevance and have lost our longing for heaven. A lost world does not need a socially relevant church; it needs a spiritually revived church.We must be a church that longs to pray, a body of believers who are dependent on the moving of the Holy Ghost and not the music, motivational musings or antics of Pentecostal cheerleaders.

If we will follow the advice of 2 Chron. 7:14, we can change directions. We must humble ourselves before him, confessing our shortcomings and failures. We must return to heart rending, soul changing, and spirit lifting prayer. Our focus needs to be not on how He can please me but how I can please Him. The depth of our very soul needs to cry out to make contact with Him daily. We must be willing to search our hearts for any wickedness, any spirit of pride or iniquity and then be willing to make the necessary changes in our lives.

The future of the church does not rest in our ability to fit in with the fads and fazes of the world, but on our ability to return to relationship with God that involves a daily communication and a spiritually sensitivity to His voice. The future of the family will be decided by the amount of prayer invested, the depth of a man’s ministry will be controlled by the depth of his prayer life. The level of dedication and consecration of the congregation will decide the Apostolic power available to the assembly. If we will pray heaven will come down and hell will flee, if we will humble ourselves, God will work through us and great and mighty things will be accomplished in these last few hours of time. If My People Will Pray

To God Be The Glory!

I just wanted to thank God for filling my 6 year old son, David, with the glorious gift of the Holy Ghost! I was privileged to baptize him in Jesus Name on Father's Day. What a great Father's Day present!

I asked him if he understood why he needed to be baptized. He said "so my my sins will be washed away and I won't have to follow the devil's rules"

God is good!

God's Will- A Storm

Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.
(Mat 14:22)

Jesus receives word that John has been beheaded at the whim of a young girl. He tries to sail away to have some time for himself to mourn the loss of his cousin but the multitude follows him on land to the other side.

Jesus looks on them with compassion and lays aside His own hurt and begins to heal them and minister to their needs. Then, after the day has passed and evening has come, He demonstrates His unselfishness and compassion by feeding those who have interrupted His quiet time.

If there is anything we need to learn from Jesus it is how to operate in the ministry of compassion

Jesus begins to make plans to feed the multitude that will involve all of his disciples, it is a time for the disciples to shine, but instead they complain

The disciples fail a critical test in two areas:

1. Instead of working to meet the needs of a hungry crowd they suggest to Jesus that He send them away. It always easier to send the multitude away than to deal with the problems.

2. Mar 6:37 He answered and said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they say unto him, Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread, and give them to eat? They are arguing with the bread of life, the creator of the soil, the one that causes a seed of wheat to germinate in the ground, to the one who causes to sun to shine and the rain to fall on the wheat to bring it to its fullness. And they have the audacity to argue with His command! Their focus is on their inability, not His all sufficiency

There is a definite need for a storm – the disciples are operating from self serving principles and the people will suffer from their inaction if Jesus does not intervene. Jesus takes the little lunch that has been brought to him, blesses it, breaks it and gives it to the disciples to distribute.

The disciples have now become the servants, the crowd are the guests of honor and the disciples are the kitchen staff!

The bread and fish have been distributed, the people are fed, the disciples are tired and Jesus is planning a storm.

The multitude quickly realize a prophet is in their midst and they began to proclaim Him as king. The crowd begins to push forward to take Him by force to make Him king.

Jesus immediately sends the multitude away and commands the disciples to take the ship to the other side and Jesus again looks for the place of solitude to rest and pray.

Jesus took the disciples out of the midst of a praising multitude right into a storm. The will of God was not the adoring crowd, not the accolades of the throng. His will was a life changing boat ride, alone, in the midst of a storm.

In our human thinking and intellect the fulfillment of the will of God is going to be a public acceptance of who and what we are. The limelight, the sound of clapping hands, the voices lifted, declaring all the good things we have done.

The crowd would not have furthered the disciples walk with God. The last thing they needed was somebody to bolster their ego. Jesus spent a great amount of time trying to keep their feet on the ground and their eyes on the purpose. They needed something to test their faith, something to bring them back into focus about what was really important.

So God prepared a storm................................

Nobody was waving on the shore as they pulled out, no bands were playing, no grand send off, just 12 men, a wooden boat and a prepared storm. The perfect will of God

There are time in our lives, that the only thing that will bring our thought process into line with his, is a storm. When you are fighting for your very existence, it has a way of changing your priorities. I have heard it said, if you want to know what is really important in this life, ask somebody who is about to leave it.

The disciples find themselves in just that predicament – the wind is too strong, the waves are too high, the boat is too small, the sky is too dark and the shore is too far away. They cannot judge their direction, they are simply at the mercy of the storm.

Suddenly, there is a glimpse of a figure walking through the center of the waves. By now it is between 3 and 6 in the morning, the disciples are exhausted, the storm continues unabated and they are questioning everything. Their first response is that what they are seeing is a ghost and they cry out in fear.

Then Jesus speaks, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” They may not recognize him in this form as the sea walker but they do recognize His voice. But Peter needs more confirmation, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”. I am not sure why Peter said what he did. Maybe it was because it was more calm where Jesus was than the environment in the boat, maybe it was a step of faith and simple trust that Jesus would keep him afloat. Or maybe there was a desperation to walk with Jesus, to be close to Him.

Whatever his motive, what occurred next was something he would remember the rest of his life. Peter stepped out of the boat, eyes fastened on Jesus and began walking toward Jesus. Imagine! For the first time being able to walk on water, every step bringing you closer to Jesus. The storm is still raging around him, the wind is still blowing, but the path is clear, the goal is in sight. Jesus is here!

Suddenly the facts attack Peter, “you can't walk on water, you were not designed to interact with this environment this way” Peter for one second looks way from Jesus at at his surroundings and immediately begins to sink. Even though Peter was walking to Jesus the storm was still all around him. The wind continued to blow and the waves were still surging around him. Kind of has a way of affection your faith doesn't it?.

Some of the greatest experiences that you will have in God will occur in the midst of a storm. It will not be in the applause of the crowd, or in the fleeting words of praise or recognition. It will be in the darkest of times, after the greatest of times, after you have climbed the highest mountain and are ascending into the lowest valley.

You will question why God put you here, you will doubt everything you believe in, the storm will seem to be too much, the winds will seem to be too strong. But somewhere in the midst of the storm there will be a revelation, a divine visitation that will change you forever. You need this storm, God has a plan for you and woven into the details of the plan, He placed a storm.

You had gotten a little off course, you had questioned God and complained about his way of doing things. You had said, as the disciples did about the hungry crowd, “send them away”

Don't worry the storm, it will not destroy you, it will instead develop you. You compassion will increase, you faith will be renewed, the storm will not cause you to fear anymore. On the other side you will have a story to tell. You will never look at Jesus the same way again, you will be forever impacted by the storm and the sea walker. Go ahead keep bailing, try the sail one more time, hold on to the rudder. But keep your eyes on the horizon. The maker of the storm is on his way!